Handle for carrier bags



Sept 5, 1967 A. BEssERMANN-NIELSEN 3,339,823

HANDLE FOR CARRIER BAGS Filed Oct. ll, 1965 2 Sheets-Shee1 1- Arrys.

sept 5, 1967 A. BEssERMANN-NIELSEN 3,339,823

HANDLE FOR CARRIER BAGS Filed'oct. 11, 1965 2 sheets-shew /N VEN TOP.XEL ESsf/e MAN/v AOE/ @EN rrys.

United States Patent O f ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A handle for carrierbags has two halves in theform of loops. The legs of one loop are spacedfarther apart than the legs of the other loop, so that the narrower loopcan be passed through the wider loop and the bag is maintained closedbecause `the loops are interlocked backto-back relative to their openposition.

The present invention relates to a handle for carrier bags, particularlyof the kind made from foil, preferably transparent plastic foil, andadapted to be used for carrying commodities, which are displayed in thatthe bag is suspended by its handle from a support.

The handle consists in aknown way of two substantially similar halvesplaced side by side, the lower parts of which are connected'to areinforcement strip positioned at the edge of the bag. When thecommodity is to be taken out the two halves of the handle are movedapart, whereby the bag is opened. In the closed position of the bag thetwo halves of the handle bear against each other. In order to maintainthem in this position, it is known e.g. to place snap fasteners on thereinforcement strip, which a're pulled open when the bag is opened.

The primary objectof the invention is to provide a closing device whichdoes not call for additional parts, but results alone from theconfiguration of the handle.

Another object of the invention is to avoid tugging on the halves of thehandle when opening the above mentioned snap fasteners, which can causethe material of the bag to tear. This is a drawback as the bags inquestion are often utilized after having served their original purposeas small shopping-bags, for which reason they should be able to beopened and closed a good many times without being damaged.

Still another object is to avoid inwardly projecting members on thehalves of the handle as is the case in connection with snap fasteners.

Other objects of the invention and the advantages obtained thereby willappear from the following specification with reference to the drawings.

The aforesaid objects of the invention are obtained by providing ahandle for carrier bags, in which the lower parts of two generallysimilar handle halves, preferably having the same slope, are inclined inopposite directions so that when closing the bag one half can be passedthrough the loop of the other half, its outwardly facing side therebybearing on the outwardly facing side of the other half.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should behad to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of referenceindicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one half of the handle.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the other half of the handle.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the two halves in assembled state, showingthe bag closed.

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views along 3,339,823 PatentedSept. 5, 1967 lCe the lines IV-IV in FIGURE 1, V--V in FIGURE 2 andVI-VI in FIGURE 3, respectively.

FIGURE 7 is a view of the handle, as seen from the edge of the bag, inthe direction of the arrow A in FIG- URE 3 and in a locked state.

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are Side views of another embodiment of thecentrally placed looking device of the handle corresponding to FIGURE 1,FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3, respectively, in that only the part of the handleis shown which lies between the lines a-a and b-b in the last-mentionedfigures.

FIGURES 11, 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views along the lines XI-XI inFIGURE 8, XII- XII in FIG- URE 9 and XIII-XIII in FIGURE l0,respectively, and

FIGURE 14 is a View of the handle according to FIG- URES 8-10, as seenfrom the edge of the bag in the direction of the arrow B in FIGURE 10and in a locked state.

The handle shown in FIGURES l-7 consists of two halves 10 and 12 which,apart from the later mentioned deviation, have the same shape and eachof which is symmetrical about a vertical central line. The halves 10 and12'are generally U-shaped, and the legs of the halves, 14 and 16respectively, are integral with a stiffening or reinforcement strip 18,which is located at the upper edge of the appurtenant bag 20, a fragmentof which is shown in FIGURE 3. The strip can consist yof two coheringhalves which at the side edges of the bag are joined to the material ofthe bag which is preferably plastic foil. The handle and the strip 18are also plastic material substantially thicker than the foil butreadily flexible.

The legs 14 and 16 of the halves 10 and 12 of the handle are inclined inopposite directions, vide FIG- URES l and 2. Furthermore the distance xbetween the feet of the half 12 at the strip 18 is less than thedistance y between the feet of the half 10 at this strip. Thus, when thebag is closed the half 12 can be passed through the opening or loopbetween the half 10 and the strip 18 after which the two halves are ableto have their originally outer sides to :bear against each other asshown in FIGURES 6 and 7. Thus the bag is locked in a closed state, andthis result is obtained alone by the configuration of the handle withoutany additional parts.

The inclined parts or legs of each half preferably have the same slope,whereby a regular symmetrical arrangement characterizes the closed bag,vide FIGURE 3. Preferably inner slots 22 are located at the feet of thehalf 10 and the distance between the outer points 24 of the half 12 isselected so that it is a little less than the distance v between thebottoms of the slots 22 thereby facilitating the passage of half 12through the loop formed by the U-shaped half 10 and the associated strip18 without the necessity of being bent lengthwise. One or, as shown,both halves 10 and 12 of the handle may be olset from their feet on thestrip 18 inwardly in relation to the plane of the strip, vide FIGURES 4and 5 where the offsets are denoted by 26 and 28. By this shaping thetwo halves 10 and 12 naturally `abut against each other along almost thewhole of their area, vide FIGURES 6 and 7.

In view of the fact that the bag should be kept closed across its fullwidth the distance between the feet of the halves of the handle is maderather large and accordingly the handle is very broad in a horizontaldirection as appears from FIGURES 1-3. Thus the part of the strip 18that lies between the feet of each handle has a corresponding lengthwith the risk that the bag by bulging out of the material may openbetween the feet. This drawback can be obviated in that a third lockingmeans is placed at the top of the centre of the handle. This lockingmeans can be arranged as follows:

From one half of the handle, preferably from its lower rim or edge aflap 30 extends, which is bent and turned over and then lies parallelwith the outwardly facing side of this half, vide FIGURE 4. Thus a slot32 is formed which can receive the other half 12 of the handle wherebythe halves of the handle are kept against each other, vide FIGURE 6,which effects a more complete closing of the bag along its medium part.The bent part of the flap 30 passes preferably through a notch 34 at thelower edge of the half 12 of the handle, vide FIGURE 2, whereby thelower edge of the handle remains straight when the bag is closed.

At the center of the upper edge of the half 10 a suspension hook 36 islocated, by which the bag can be suspended Well balanced from a supportfor exhibition use.

The embodiment shown-in FIGURES 8-14 correspond to that earliermentioned with the exception only that the suspension hook which is heredenoted by 36a, is placed at the end of the ap 30. Furthermore, the samereference numerals are used here as in FIGURES 1-7.

In order that the bag upon later use during shopping may be easy tocarry, the suspension hook can be adapted to be easily broken olf. Tothis end the ap 30 has a cut 38 at the base of the suspension hook 36aalong its surface, vide FIGURES 11, 13 and 14. The hook can also beweakened in another way e.g. by a row of small holes.

What I claim is:

1. A handle for carrier bags, comprising a first half and a second halfhaving substantially the same width and adapted to be placed side byside contacting each other, each half -being largely shaped as aninverted U, the legs of each half being connected to a reinforcementstrip at their lower ends to form an aperture, the legs of said firsthalf diverging downwards, the legs of said seeond half convergingdownwards thereby allowing said second half to be carried through theaperture of said first half without being bent lengthwise, saidreinforcement strips being adapted to be secured to the upper edges of abag.

2. A handle for carrier bags according to claim l, in which slots areprovided at the inner edge of said legs of said first half at pointswhere they adjoin said reinforcement strip.

3. A handle for carrier bags according to claim 1, in which at least onehalf of the handle is oset inwards at points where it adjoins saidreinforcement strip.

4. A handle for carrier bags according to claim 1, in which lockingmeans are provided at the center of the handle, to keep said halves inmutual contact.

5. Locking means for a handle according to claim 1, comprising a hook,said hook passing through a notch at the lower edge of the other half ofthe handle.

6. A handle for carrier bags, comprising a first half, a second half anda reinforcement strip arranged at the upper edge of the bag, each halfforming together with said reinforcement strip a loop, the length of theloop of said first half in the direction of the reinforcement stripbeing smaller than the length of the loop of said second half in thedirection of the reinforcement strip at the points Where said halvesadjoin the reinforcement strip so that, after said first half has beencarried through the loop of said second half from the front side to theback side thereof, the two halves lying flush against each other withthe side surfaces which originally faced outward disposed in contactwith each other, and means to keep said halves in mutual contact in thisposition.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,352,070 12/1963 France.

840,339 7/1960 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner.

6. A HANDLE FOR CARRIER BAGS, COMPRISING FIRST HALF, A SECOND HALF AND AREINFORCEMENT STRIP ARRANGED AT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BAG, EACH HALFFORMING TOGETHER WITH SAID REINFORCEMENT STRIP A LOOP, THE LENGTH OF THELOOP OF SAID FIRST HALF IN THE DIRECTION OF THE REINFORCEMENT STRIPBEING SMALL THAN THE LENGTH OF THE LOOP OF SAID SECOND HALF IN THEDIRECTION OF THE REINFORCEMENT STRIP AT THE POINTS WHERE SAID HALVESADJOIN THE REINFORCEMENT STRIP SO THAT, AFTER SAID FIRST HALF HAS BEENCARRIED THROUGH THE LOOP OF SAID HALF FROM THE FRONT SIDE TO THE BACKSIDE THEREOF, THE TWO HALVES LYING FLUSH AGAINST EACH OTHER WITH THESIDE SURFACE WHICH ORIGINALLY FACED OUTWARD DISPOSED IN CONTACT WITHEACH OTHER, AND MEANS TO KEEP SAID HALVES IN MUTUAL CONTACT IN THISPOSITION.